Write Words, Right Message

Tag Archives: acceptance

I feel happy, elated…and sick. I’ve been a freelance writer for 14 years but that pit at the bottom of your stomach never goes away.

Today I sent out that manuscript languishing on my hard drive. The book was commissioned by a publisher and I wrote it, in its entirety, submitted the first draft, got paid for that part of the submission, and the company went belly up. And so this book, that took me hours and hours and months to research to write and rewrite, is being sent out again in the hope that it will actually find a home.

But then there’s the dreaded rejection. Even if you’re a seasoned journalist with accolades, rejection happens. After a while you get used to it…oh heck, you never get used to it. But you have to believe in the story because if it gets rejected, that rejection needs to be the fuel that propels you to send it out to someone else until you get that coveted acceptance letter.

So I have taken that leap of faith. I picked up the phone and called a publisher and now I’ve sent a sample of the book for them to read and I must wait and pretend that I’m not really waiting for anything, that everything is fine.

But, truth be told, if the rejection comes I will feel that devastation. That’s what makes writers comrades in arms. We’ve all been there, and continue to be there. As I said, it doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned journalist. Rejection happens. The trick is to turn that rejection into fuel that pushes you to send it out again, and again and again until it’s accepted.

I just hope this is accepted the first time, or is it the second time, whatever, this time.